The Last Dance
by AiraEve
Summary: Shikamaru and Sasuke have fiancees, and it's not Sakura or Ino. Heartbroken, the girls go on a mission and are kidnapped by the Akatsuki. But now, the boys want them back. Sakumultiple Inomultiple
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer-** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note**- Bad girl! Bad AiraEve! You need to stop writing so many stories! (Slaps self on wrist.) Oh well. Enjoy. By the way, what's a beta reader? (smiles innocently)

* * *

**Chapter One **

"_They say you never truly appreciate something until it is gone…"_

Sakura's fingers trembled as her eyes wearily scanned the luxuriously decorated piece of parchment in front of her. She had read the contents of the letter over and over, yet none of the information seemed to sink in. The paper was velvety, and had beautiful golden script written on it. Over and over the Haruno girl read it, but she just couldn't believe her eyes.

_Sakura Haruno,_

_You are cordially invited to attend the joining of Sasuke Uchiha and Takara Kido in holy matrimony on this joyous occasion in which they shall celebrate their love for each other._

_Friday,_

_May Twenty Fifth,_

_At seven o' clock at night_

Behind it was another letter, not as fancily done as the letter before it but was still elegant nonetheless. This one read-

_Sakura Haruno,_

_Nara Shikamaru and Miyu Ishiguru request the pleasure of your presence on their wedding day._

_On Friday,_

_May Twenty Fifth, following the wedding of Sasuke Uchiha and Takara Kido_

So it was a double wedding. Sakura sucked in a deep breath and steadily placed the letters back on the kitchen counter, lest her tears ruin them. Her eyes sparkled with tears waiting to spill over, lip quivering ever so slightly. Beside her, her best friend Ino Yamanaka was busily sobbing and pounding her fist on the granite countertop.

"Why?" she wailed, "Why is this happening?" Ino only cried harder and slapped the letters to the floor, not wanting to look at them. She had gotten invitations also.

All color had drained from the Haruno girl's face as she slowly walked over to her sofa, sitting down stiffly. She buried her head in her hands and silently let the tears fall. Her throat had completely closed up and her lungs had suddenly found it very difficult to breathe.

"This can't be happening," Sakura whispered.

On the other side of the room, Ino was busy destroying things. Her mind was clouded over with a number of emotions- hurt, rejection, pain, anger. The list was endless. The platinum blonde screamed and punched the wall, leaving a crater in her wake. She then walked over to her invitations, took one last spiteful look at them, and threw them out the window.

Sakura sank down to the floor. Her viridian eyes were now dull, as if they lacked life. Her skin was so deathly pale, and her face was streaked with tears.

Ino's chest heaved up and down as slumped against the wall. She turned her puffy red eyes toward her best friend. "Oh, Sakura!" she wailed and ran over to her best friend.

The strawberry haired jounin glanced sadly at her friend and then buried her face in her shoulder. Instantly, a torrent of cries was released.

"Why!" Sakura screamed, "What did I do to deserve this!"

Together the girls cried for the rest of the night, oblivious to anything that went on around them. A few of the neighbors had knocked curiously to see what the commotion was all about, but the girls simply ignored them, concerned only with releasing their anguish.

* * *

By around 2am, the girls had managed to calm down. Ino's tantrum had completely worn her out, so she was sleeping it off. Sakura just laid on the floor next to Ino, staring at the ceiling above. The girls shared an apartment together since they had become best friends again. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. 

The wedding invitations had come as a complete shock to the girls. Sakura had totally expected Shikamaru to marry Ino, since the two were so perfect for each other. Shikamaru was Ino's best friend, aside from Sakura, and the two had even went on a few dates.

And Sasuke… well, Sakura knew that the cold-hearted Uchiha boy considered her nothing higher than dirt, but she had always held out hope that he would someday change. She was wrong. Sakura wiped her eyes. The boys had left on a mission to help out a village about three months ago and they were expected to return today. Instead, the girls got invitations to their weddings.

The moment Ino read it, her heart shattered and she began sobbing uncontrollably. As soon as Sakura got home, Ino thrust the letter into her hands. Sakura's whole world fell apart too.

So now here she was, wallowing in her own grief. When someone you truly love suddenly runs off with another woman, it tends to hurt. A lot. Sakura sighed and closed her eyes. No matter how empty she felt inside, she knew that was Sasuke and Shikamaru's decisions and there was nothing she could do to change it. Poor Ino and she would just have to learn to move on. Well, the wedding was about a month away it'd be rude if they didn't attend the weddings. Sakura mentally made a note to herself to buy a new kimono for the occasion. Sakura sighed one last time before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"Hey! Have you heard? Sasuke Uchiha is having a wedding!" 

"Really? To whom?"

"She doesn't live in Konoha but he plans to bring her here. Her name's Takeru or something."

"Takeru? That's a boy's name!"

"…So? What if he's gay?"

The man who said that received a punch from his wife, who used to be a loyal Sasuke fan girl. "Idiot."

"Hey, yeah! I heard Nara Shikamaru is getting married also! And it isn't a girl we know either."

"Wasn't he going to have a double wedding with Sasuke?"

The rumors spread around like wildfire the minute those invitations were received. Sakura and Ino bent their heads down as they strode through the center of the bustling marketplace, desperately trying to tune out all the gossip.

"Wait, isn't that the Yamanaka girl? And Miss Sakura?"

"Oh yeah. Shh, don't speak too loudly; I think they used to be in love with Nara and Sasuke."

"Poor things. They must be heartbroken."

"I wonder if they got an invitation too."

"Probably not. I heard that the Uchiha despised Miss Sakura."

"WOULD YOU ALL SHUT UP!" Sakura and Ino screamed as they whirled around and faced the frightened villagers. Ino snarled at them. "Yeah we got invitations, and we just so happen to be delighted for the new couple!"

The villagers gulped and hid behind their stalls. A few seconds passed and one of the villagers whispered into his friend's ear. "Yeah, I think she's pissed over the wedding."

Ino threw up her hands in frustration. Sakura stepped forward. "Please excuse us, we're running late for an appointment." The pink haired nin then grabbed Ino by the shoulders and pushed her through the crowd.

As they left, more villagers began to catch sight of them and ran up to them, saying things like "Are you alright? My heart broke when I learned my boyfriend was leaving me too."

"Do you girls want some chocolate? They see chocolate eases the soul."

A more hateful citizen said "Pbfft, serves you girls right. Always pining for a man that you knew would never be yours."

Both females grew immensely irritated by how brash the Konoha citizens were. Ino and Sakura weaved through the thick crowd and brushed off housewives who stared at them in sympathy. Sakura and Ino panted as they managed to escape into an alley. "Man," Ino said breathlessly, "Don't these people know how what personal space is?"

"Apparently not," Sakura breathed. "Well, we've got to get to Hokage tower now and see if we got missions."

Ino nodded and followed her friend. As they dove through the mass of people, two familiar faces caught up to them.

"Ino! Sakura!" Tenten said as she grabbed their arms. "Did you guys get invitations?" Hinata ran up beside them.

"Not this again," the blonde grumbled.

"Yes, we did." Sakura replied calmly.

Tenten and Hinata's jaws dropped at how calm the Haruno girl sounded. They thought she would burst out in a sea of tears and throw a tantrum or something. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine," Ino said. The benefit of being a ninja was that lying was easy.

"B-But," Hinata sputtered, "D-Doesn't any of t-this f-faze you at all?"

"No. In fact, we're actually happy for the new couples. It's about time those boys found a good woman that would take care of them." Ino laughed but only Sakura knew it was a hollow laugh.

"We've got to get going now," Sakura bowed, "Tsunade-sama is expecting us at the office."

As soon as the two best friends departed, Tenten and Hinata glanced worriedly at each other. "A-Are they g-going to be okay?"

Tenten sighed. "They're strong girls. I think they'll pull through."

* * *

Sakura's pale fingers wrapped around the metal doorknob of Tsunade's office as she turned it and stepped in. Ino followed. "Did you want to see…us?" Both girls froze as they entered the room. There, standing before the Hokage's desk were the very two men that had made them weep so profusely last night. They had probably just returned from their mission and were filling Tsunade in on the details. Standing beside them were two lovely young ladies, each clinging to their lover's arms for dear life. Ino bit her lip and fought back a few tears. Sakura stared with a stony face. 

"So, what are our missions today?" the viridian eyed female acted as if nothing was wrong.

"Ah, Sakura, Ino," Tsunade motioned for them to come in, "You girls are late." Sasuke and Shikamaru watched them enter.

"Kakashi must be rubbing off on me," Sakura shrugged.

"The streets were so crowded this morning," Ino huffed, "I was afraid that I might have had to get Chouji to bowl a path through the crowd for me."

Tsunade laughed.

"Well," Sakura said as she turned around, "Sasuke, Shikamaru, I see you two have returned."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted.

"Yes," Shikamaru mumbled.

"I take it these two charming ladies are your fiancées? Would you mind introducing them, please?" The Haruno girl smiled.

The Hokage looked a bit disheartened. She glanced worriedly at her apprentice. Though it was hardly noticeable, Tsunade knew Sakura was secretly itching to leave the room. "Sakura, Ino, this is Miyu Ishiguru- Shikamaru's fiancée."

The girl bowed, her auburn hair falling in front of her face slightly. She stood up and looked at Ino with bright olive eyes. "Glad to meet you." The Yamanaka girl's eyes saddened at the small female. She looked bright and hyper, sort of like a child.

"Yup," Ino shook her hand. Shikamaru studied Ino's face closely and tightened his grip on Miyu. "Oh relax, I won't bite her."

Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched. Miyu looked confused.

Ino smirked at her. "Shikamaru used to be my teammate, and knows that I can be loud and impulsive sometimes."

"Ah," Miyu grinned, "I understand."

"Troublesome." Nara looked away.

Tsunade frowned at the blonde. "And this is Takara Kido, _Sasuke's_ fiancée."

"Hi," Sakura offered her hand to the woman. The Haruno girl used this opportunity to get a good look at Takara. She had narrow violet eyes and dark scarlet tresses that fell in smooth waves down the small of her back. Sasuke seemed to notice Sakura examining Takara and pulled her closer to him. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Takara said. She had a mature, seductive voice. Beautiful with a slightly deadly touch. The perfect woman for Sasuke. Sakura sighed.Takaradidn't shake Sakura's hand and merely opted to glare at it. Sakura narrowed her eyes and drew back.

"So," Sakura turned back to her boss, "What are our missions today?"

"You two are to visit the Village Hidden in the Trees(A/N: Yes I made it up. Bite me! AGH! NO I DIDN'T MEAN IT!)," Tsunade handed them two scrolls, "It had just recently been attacked by bandits and they've requested our help guarding them as they rebuild. Another jounin will be sent with you- his name is Keiji. You three will leave in 3 weeks."

Ino and Sakura nodded. As they left, they turned back towards their former teammates and their fiancées. "It's good to see you back again, Sasuke and Shikamaru. And Miyu, Takara, it's been a pleasure meeting you." And with that the girls closed the door behind them.

* * *

Tadaa! The fruit of my insomnia combined with caffeine and hours of reading fanfiction! Lol. Well, this is a piece of crap. I'm probably going to take it down. No flames please, I already know it's bad. 

But seriously, should I keep it up? (pouts)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer-** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note**- Ah! You guys are so sweet! (Hugs reviewers) Well, I guess I'll have to keep this up to avoid being hunted down with an axe. Lol.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"Sakura," Ino started, "The mission starts in three weeks, right?"

"Yes," Sakura said. Both girls were currently sitting on a bench at Konoha Park, watching birds fly by and all that good stuff.

The Yamanaka girl frowned. "But…aren't Sasuke's and Shikamaru's weddings only a month away?"

"So that gives us a week to complete our mission and get back in time for the wedding."

"You think we'll return in time?"

Sakura shrugged. "Only time will tell."

Ino sighed and sunk back in the concrete bench. "I'm just really stressed out right now." She grumbled. "I feel like I can chop down a whole forest."

The strawberry haired jounin sat and stared at her friend. "Well, you sort of almost did when we were training."

"So?" Ino huffed. She then turned away and kicked her legs sadly. "Besides, I really thought we had something going…" Sakura's face softened at her and rubbed her back reassuringly.

"Come on; let's go get something to eat. I'm sure that'll cheer you up." Ino nodded and followed her friend as they headed in town.

* * *

Sakura lifted a single, slender hand up to raise the navy curtains of Ichiraku Ramen Stand. Instantly, her nostrils were assaulted with the sweet aroma of steaming ramen as it was being served to eager customers, whom gobbled and slurped it up desperately. The girls took a seat at an empty booth and noticed a great commotion near the front bar.

"Oh, ho, ho!" Asuma chuckled, "Looks like the girl's got an appetite! You've got competition Naruto."

"What?" the kitsune perked up, "Me? No way!" He growled and sat down next to the girl. "Hey, give me fifteen bowls of ramen! I'll show this girl how eating ramen is really done."

Ino raised a toned eyebrow. What girl? What was going on over there? She quickly scanned the crowd and noticed a few familiar faces, like the entire rookie nine, and a few others they knew like Genma, Kurenai, Iruka, and Kakashi. Ino stood up higher and saw who they were crowding around. There, locked in a heated eating contest, was Miyu and Naruto. Shikamaru was leaning on the wall mouthing something that looked like "Troublesome." Standing near them was Sasuke and Takara, her arms draped shamelessly about his shoulders.

"Oh no," Ino gulped, "Guess who's here."

Sakura looked up from the menu. "Who?"

"Shikafnjaru and Mirytau." Ino muttered, making it hard to hear what she was saying.

"Come again?" Sakura pretended to tweak her ears.

"Sasumekfe…nd Terkrfnj." Ino mumbled.

Sakura looked at her like she had just sprouted two heads. "A what a what?"

"Saskufdj…aifnd Trekrfdsan."

"Star trek? What?"

"SASUKE, TAKARA, MIYU, AND SHIKAMARU!" Ino slammed her fists on the table. Instantly, several people from the crowd looked over to see who caused the ruckus. "Oh shit."

"Hey, it's Ino and Sakura!" Naruto ran over and plopped down at the seat across from them. As the waitress served the ramen to the girls, Naruto grabbed Sakura's bowl and started slurping it. She sweat dropped. "Mmffr," Naruto said with his mouth full, "What are you guys doing here? Come to celebrate Sasuke's and Shikamaru's fiancées?"

"Actually, no. We just came here to get a bite to eat."

"Ah, well, join in the fun anyways!" Naruto then turned around to face the crowd. "HEY EVERYBODY! SAKURA-CHAN AND INO ARE HERE!" A whoop of appreciation erupted from the mass of people.

Sakura twitched and punched him in the back of the head. "Naruto, you idiot."

Ino covered her face, "Um, Sakura, I'll be right back." The blonde then stood and hurried to the bathroom. Sakura sighed and watched as the people ignored her and continued celebrating She heard a chorus of "Shikamaru, Sasuke, you guys are such lucky bastards!" the more mature adults said "I'm very proud of you boys and hope you have a wonderful marriage." a more colorful comment echoed through the crowd as well, "I hope your relationship is as fertile and bountiful as the fresh spring flower in the summer that grows by the fountain of eternal youth!"

Sakura giggled a little and rested her head against the booth. She stayed like that for about half an hour and quirked an eyebrow when Ino didn't return. Just as she was about to get up, a figure took the seat across from her.

"Hey," it said.

"Sasuke," Sakura nodded at him.

He nodded as well and watched the crowd party. Takara had left for the bathroom and Miyu was looking a bit woozy form all the ramen and sake that was going around. Though Sakura didn't see it, Sasuke's usual tense disposition had relaxed slightly.

"I know you've heard this about a million times over, but I hope you guys have a wonderful marriage."

"Hn," he said.

"So, how did you meet Takara?"

Sasuke grabbed a shot of sake from a passing waitress and sipped it, "We were passing through the Village Hidden in the Rocks and I saw her getting attacked in the forest. I saved her and wound up wounded. She took me to her place and healed me."

'_I bet she did more than heal you_,' Sakura thought with disgust as she glanced at Takara's thin outfit. "I see."

"We found out we had a lot of things in common."

"Love at first sight?" Sakura offered.

"Hn." Well, that was as close to a yes as she would get. Sakura fought back the urge to scream.

The Haruno girl dug into her purse for something. When she found it, she pulled it out and wiped it off with a napkin. Sasuke glanced at her. "Here," she thrust it in his hands. He didn't say anything but merely quirked a brow at her. "I was saving it for when I got married but I think you and your fiancée deserve it more."

Sasuke poked at it curiously. He held it up. It was a simple white gold band with a smooth, pink, oval-shaped stone in the center of it. Sasuke raised his eyebrows at her, as if saying "Pink? Are you sure it's my color?"

Sakura giggled. "It's a special stone. It will lead you to the one you love if you ever happen to lose her. It belonged to my grandmother and she used it during the ninja wars to find my grandpa before he could be lured into a trap and killed. It's also said to bring good fortune to the couple."

The Uchiha examined the object and slipped it onto his finger. It fit perfectly. He glanced uncertainly at Sakura. This gift seemed so mature and thoughtful of her, unlike the bottles of champagne and Icha Icha Paradise novels Jiraiya and Kakashi gave him, ramen coupons from Naruto, and tons of other hectic things.

"Thanks," he said.

"No problem," she smiled.

As she turned away to watch the others celebrate, Sasuke couldn't help but take his eyes off her. She seemed so much more mature than the girl he knew so long ago. Well, then again he rarely even talked to her, so how could he know she changed? He half expected her to lock herself up in her apartment and bawl her eyes out and curse Takara with all her might. Surprisingly, he was wrong. She had accepted their engagement and even gave them a thoughtful gift…….Was this really Sakura Haruno?

"Sasuke-kun," a certain redhead said as she loomed over the two. It was Takara. She glared menacingly at Sakura, as if saying what-do-you-think-you're-doing-with-my-man. Sasuke smirked at her and pulled her into an embrace.

Sakura felt her chest tighten. Suddenly, she caught sight of Ino returning from the bathroom. She quickly stood up. "I'm sorry I have to cut this meeting short but I've got to get home. I'll see you later, Sasuke." Sakura bowed respectively at the couple before leaving. Ino followed her.

A certain redhead with piercing violet eyes stared at the girls. Miyu and Shikamaru stumbled over to them.

"Sasuke-kun," Takara traced a single polished finger along his jaw line, "I'll be right back; I need to use the rest room."

He glanced at her and gave a reassuring squeeze, "Fine. Don't take too long."

"Shikamaru-kun," Miyu chirped, "I need to go to the bathroom too!"

"So troublesome," he sighed, "Go ahead."

Miyu grinned and ran after Takara, "Hey! Takara-chan! Wait for me!"

Her deep crimson lips curved into a coy smile. "Don't miss us too much," she winked. Both girls walked to the corner and felt their lovers' gazes still lingering on them. As soon as they rounded the corner, both girls broke into a fast walk. They strode briskly past villagers and ignored all those who greeted them. Soon the females found who they were looking for. There were Sakura and Ino, sitting and chatting with each other.

"I don't like them," Miyu wrinkled her nose at the friends.

"Neither do I," Takara huffed, "I think Sasuke-kun still feels something for that wench."

"No," the auburn haired girl protested, "Maybe it's just teammate concern."

"Concern my ass," Takara snarled and flipped her hair behind her, "Sasuke's gaze lingers on her longer than I like. And I see your Shikamaru-kun sneak a few glances at that blonde slut also."

"What?" Miyu's mouth hung agape, "Seriously?"

"Don't you watch him?" Takara smirked. She knew Miyu was a clingy and highly jealous person, and she was using that trait to her advantage.

Miyu tensed and fidgeted with her fingers, "Yes… Well, I thought that since they were friends and stuff-"

The Kido woman cut her off, "Friendship can always turn into something more. Besides, I heard that Shikamaru-kun and she used to go out."

"WHAT?" Miyu yelped and placed her hands on her hips, "Well I'm going to give that girl a piece of my mind! And you should go tell off that pinky freak too. We'll teach them to mess with our men!"

Takara smirked. '_Perfect_.'

The child-like female marched up to Ino and Sakura, Takara in tow. Miyu growled at Ino and loomed over her, despite her somewhat short stature.

"Oh," Ino looked up, "Hello Miyu-san."

"Don't 'Hello Miyu-san' me," she wagged a finger in the blonde's face, "Stay away from my Shikamaru!"

"What?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at her.

"You know what. Takara says that you two are going to try and steal our fiancées away, and that's just plain rude!"

"What the hell?" Ino stood up and narrowed her eyes, "Shikamaru and Sasuke are all yours. And why would you say that, Takara?"

"I see them stealing glances at you every now and then, and I don't like it. So back off." She scoffed and crossed her arms over that skimpy dress of a thing she wore.

'_What the fuck?_' Sakura and Ino wrinkled their faces. '_Talk about over possessive much_.'

"Sasuke…looks at me?" the Haruno girl looked downcast, "No… He's never considered me anything more than a teammate."

"Don't flatter yourself," Takara scowled at Sakura. "You're just some depressive, wannabe ninja that will never get a good man because you have a wide forehead and weird pink hair."

Instead of sinking lower in her chair and letting her already negative self esteem fall further, Sakura became filled with a new kind of rage and loathing for the dark red haired woman. At first Sakura had felt envious of her beauty and how she was blessed with Sasuke, but now all she saw when she looked at Takara was anger.

"Hey!" Ino growled and became ignited with the same kind of fury Sakura felt.

"Don't talk to Takara-chan like that!" Miyu stepped in between them.

"Go away, midget." Ino shoved the amber haired girl back.

Miyu looked stricken. Back in her old village, they had always used to tease her about her lack of height and said that she would never become successful. The words hurt so much that the Ishiguru girl quit training to become a ninja. But then, Miyu showed them all when she ran off with Shikamaru. And now this smutty blonde was calling her a midget and threatening to take Shikamaru-kun away!

"Bitch!" Miyu screamed and punched Ino. The Yamanaka girl let her do it. Miyu smirked at her success but then frowned when Ino turned her head back slowly.

"I'm glad," Ino said in a shaky voice, "I'm glad that Shikamaru didn't go for me, because if he was interested in clingy wenches like you then I never want to be his dream girl!" She screamed and launched herself at Miyu.

As the girls wrestled, with Ino obviously winning, Takara and Sakura glared at each other. Sakura unconsciously clenched and unclenched her fists. Her shoulders shook as she stared at the smirking Takara. The more she stared the more the woman seemed to turn into a demon in her eyes.

"I don't know what Sasuke-kun sees in you," Takara sneered, "You're just a sad, ugly thing that will never be anything more. If Sasuke hadn't insisted I would have never allowed such an atrocity like you come to our wedding. Why I ought to-"

Takara didn't have time to continue as Sakura raised a stiff hand up and brought it crashing down across the redhead's cheek. She cried out and pain and clutched her face, stumbling back from the force of the slap. Sakura's chest heaved up and down as she glared down at the woman.

Takara hissed and silently pulled out a kunai. She was a kunoichi too; more advanced than Miyu but was nowhere close to Sakura's level of power. Takara was more concerned with her looks than anything else and usually lounged around during missions and let her teammates fight for her. As much as she hated to admit it, Sakura once used to be like that. But not anymore- she had learned the error of her ways.

"I wouldn't do that," Sakura's tone was laced with venom, "Don't try and pull that kunai out on me. You know it's pointless."

"Don't fucking tell me what to do, bitch!" Takara screeched and rushed at Sakura, knife in hand.

The pink haired jounin didn't even flinch. Her face was blank and her eyes had narrowed. Without wasting even an ounce of chakra, Sakura's hand shot out and grabbed Takara's arm, twisting it around and using her other one to point the kunai at her throat.

"Leave us alone. We have done you no wrong." Sakura then threw her to the ground. Behind her, Ino was finished kicking Miyu's butt up and down the street and chucked her right next to Takara.

Takara and Miyu grumbled under their breath and was about to rise again when two familiar voices stopped them.

"What's going on here?" the voices of Sasuke and Shikamaru roared. Instantly, Miyu and Takara feigned injury and collapsed dramatically on the ground. Sakura and Ino rolled heir eyes.

"Miyu!" Shikamaru ran up to her and picked her up. Ino's already shattered heart stung. "What happened?"

Miyu moaned, "I-Ino attacked me…"

Oh god. That sounded so fake. Takara nodded and said the same things. "They were jealous about us marrying you…"

WHAT! Ino's icy cerulean eyes expanded to the size of tires as Sakura restrained the mad woman. "LET ME AT HER, I'LL RIP THAT BITCH'S MOUTH OUT!"

"So troublesome," Shikamaru glared at her. Ino didn't feel anything. Her heart already pained too much to feel any more pain.

Sasuke growled at Sakura, "What did you do to Takara?" he demanded.

"You know what, _Uchiha_?" she said his name so despicably, "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU! I HOPE I DIE ON MY MISSION SO I NEVER HAVE TO SEE YOUR HIDEOUS, COLD HEARTED FACE AGAIN! YOU HAVE HORRIBLE TASTE IN WOMEN. WHY I BET EVEN YOUR INSANE BROTHER _ITACHI_ IS A BETTER PERSON THAN YOU! And YOU Shikamaru, I thought you were the smartest ninja in the world. I guess I was wrong since you made such a dumb choice in choosing Miyu over Ino!"

Ino gaped at Sakura. She fell to her knees and bowed before her.

Sakura's face was red with anger as her shoulders hook with unadulterated fury. She took pleasure in watching their jaws drop and eyes widen. Shikamaru's throat went dry as he struggled to produce some sound. Miyu was biting her nails and Takara looked like she wanted to strangle Sakura. Sasuke just stared at her with his jaw hanging open. There was an indiscernible emotion on his face. Sakura scoffed and grabbed Ino and sped off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Reviews. No flames.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer-** I don't own Naruto or the song.

**Author's Note**- Woot! 70 reviews! Let's shoot for a hundred, people! Haha just kidding. But that would make me really, really happy. Anyways, for those who have read my other stories, I'll get to them some time lol. For some reason I'm just inspired to work on this one more. Oh, and don't forget to take me poll at the bottom of the page!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Pale fingers swiftly laced up the ebony boots she wore as the owner grumbled under her breath. Sakura then pulled on a pair of worn yet sturdy gloves, flexing her fingers in the process. She continued to grumble as she slapped on her ANBU mask and hurriedly brushed out the door, ignoring the person who stood next to it. Ino sweat dropped and followed her friend out of the locker room.

Three whole weeks had passed since her little incident with Takara and Miyu, and from then on Sakura and Ino had been purposely avoiding Sasuke and Shikamaru. Originally they had thought about talking to Tsunade about postponing their mission so they could attend the wedding, but now the situation was different. Tsunade had offered to give them a different mission so they could go to the wedding- but that proposition was met with a mountain of refusal. Hell, the girls would even slow walk during the whole mission if it meant missing the wedding. So what if it was rude? Those girls weren't exactly nice to them either.

Ino followed Sakura through the hall and listened to the strawberry haired kunoichi's endless grumbling. She didn't say anything, though. Her mind was drowning in thought.

**Flashback**

_Three weeks ago at the celebration at Ichiraku…_

_Ino looked at herself in the worn mirror, splashing her heated cheeks with a handful of cold water. She sighed and grabbed a few paper towels to wring off any excess water. She had totally embarrassed herself back there and wasn't exactly ready or willing to face the crowd just yet. Maybe she just needed a little air… As soon as the Yamanaka girl decided she looked presentable, she straightened up and headed outside._

_Then scent of a cold nighttime atmosphere graciously invaded her senses as Ino sucked in a deep breath of the delicious air. Ichiraku was stuffy and warm, but out here it was cool and open._

"_Now this is more like it," she smiled. Icy blue eyes did a quick scan of the area and noticed a familiar pineapple-shaped shadow leaning on the doorframe. "… Shikamaru?"_

_He merely nodded in response._

_Ino sighed at him. "Well there's no clouds out… are you stargazing?"_

_He smiled at her joke. "I guess."_

_She walked over and took a spot next to him. "So… why aren't you inside? The celebration is in honor of you after all."_

"_I don't know. It's too troublesome."_

_Ino rolled his eyes. She thought about retorting to his trademark comment with a "You're troublesome" of her own, but quickly squashed the thought. Instead, she opted for a different topic. "How did you meet Miyu?"_

_This time, Shikamaru paused and scratched his head. "Sasuke and I were passing through a village and we decided to take a break and split off. I went to cloud gaze by the nearby stream and Miyu was there. We talked and-"_

"_You found you had a lot in common," Ino finished for him._

"_No," he corrected. "I found out she was an interesting person. She acts like a child, yet inside she has some deep, philosophical thoughts. We had some pretty good conversations."_

_Ino frowned and looked away. Sasuke and Shikamaru had known these girls for what, one month? And here they were, already engaged and what not. Ino had known Shikamaru for practically half her whole life- and they were best friends. Isn't there an old proverb that said "Friendship is the first step to love"? She sighed._

"_Oh well. What's done is done."_

"_What was that?" Shikamaru cracked an eye open at her._

_Oops. She said that out loud. "Nothing! Hehe…"_

_Ino exhaled deeply and glanced about. For a while she watched a fly buzz around, but that was no fun. She decided to break the ice. "How did Sasuke meet Takara?"_

"…"

_Ino ignored his silence. She was used to him being quiet and continued to rant on. "I mean I seriously thought that Sakura would be the woman for him."_

"…"

"_He's known Takara for what, a month? He's always so serious about choosing only the most select kunoichi to help restore his clan, and then he comes back with this chuunin who'd rather paint her nails than go on missions."_

"…"

_Ino noticed that Shikamaru became more uncomfortable by the minute. "Sakura loved him with all her heart and even held out a bit of hope for him. I mean this is just doesn't connect."_

_Finally, Shikamaru spoke. "Ino… Sasuke still loves Sakura."_

_She scoffed at him. "Pbfft, yeah right. When did he start? Because I really didn't notice it."_

"…"

"_Don't try to prove me wrong, Shikamaru," her face softened at him, "It's okay. We're not upset over the weddings or anything. We're not going to hold grudges-"_

_He suddenly cut her off. "Takara's pregnant."_

_Clear blue eyes widened. "W-Wha-?"_

"_Sasuke still loves Sakura. And Takara's pregnant." He scratched his head and felt a bit tense. He really wasn't supposed to tell anybody. "This is so troublesome."_

"_Go on," Ino ushered._

"_See, Sasuke met Takara when she was being attacked by a few thugs. He saved her but wound up getting cut and she insisted on taking him back to her place to be healed. While he was there she… poured a heavy aphrodisiac into his tea. She started to seduce him, and since he was under influence by the drug… they engaged in intercourse."_

_Ino gasped and her hands flew up to her mouth. She gaped and looked horrified. "And… she wound up pregnant?"_

_The obsidian haired male nodded. "He was forced to marry her then. If he didn't she could always come find him when the child was born and reveal the details about their little 'romp'. He decided to accept it and pretend that he loves Takara. Think about it- What would Sakura think of him then?"_

"_I understand," Ino looked downcast. "That's so sad…But it's not entirely his fault. Takara's the one who drugged him and then seduced him."_

"_Still, he has an illegitimate child. Though Sakura might still accept him, Konoha would look down on him."_

"_Poor things…"_

"_Don't tell Sakura, though."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Sasuke doesn't want her to know, but he still loves her."_

"_Aa," Ino sighed. "Well, I'd better get back inside. She's probably worried sick about me right now."_

**End Flashback**

Ino bit her lip. Since Sakura's little outburst, the Haruno girl had eluded any mention of the boys or their wicked fiancés. Secretly, Ino knew that inside she was simply dying to just let it all out and rant on and on about how unfair life was, a trusty bucket of ice cream at her side. The secret about Takara and Sasuke was killing her, and she just wanted to stand on top of a building and broadcast it to all of Konoha. Dammit, Shikamaru picked the wrong girl to tell a secret to!

They caught sight of a male up ahead, clad in a jounin outfit and checking his watch.

"Hey," Sakura shouted, "Are you Keiji?"

He turned his head toward them. "Yeah, are you Sakura and Ino?" Sakura noticed that he had dark turquoise hair that resembled the color of the great ocean depths. Part of it fell in front of his face, partly covering his right eye. This Keiji was a fairly handsome boy… why hadn't they noticed him before?

Keiji too couldn't help but let his eyes linger on both the girls. '_Man_,' he thought, '_how lucky can a guy get? The two prettiest kunoichi in Konoha on his team!_'

"Well, is everybody set?" Sakura looked around. Keiji nodded but Ino seemed lost in her own little world. Pink brows furrowed at her. Lately the blonde had been acting strangely… "Ino?"

"Huh?" she looked up in confusion. "Oh, uh yeah I'm ready."

"Are you feeling okay?" Sakura looked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Alright," the medic nin still looked unsure, "Well let's go then."

* * *

About an hour into the journey, Ino perked up. "How long is it going to take to get there?" 

"Well," Keiji said as he thumbed through a book, "If we continue at a regular pace it should take about 2 to 3 days."

"…Is there a chance we can slow walk?" both girls smiled innocently.

* * *

Keiji yawned loudly and stretched his arms over his head. It was now nightfall and they had decided to camp out. He threw his empty plate into a pile next to his pack, opting to wash it later. "Well, I'm going to crash now. Goodnight." 

Sakura and Ino nodded. After a session of chatting by the fire, Sakura extinguished it and both girls climbed into their respective tents.

* * *

It was probably about 2am when a familiar strawberry haired kunoichi climbed out of her tent. She sighed and stood up, inhaling the crisp forest air. She couldn't sleep. Lately, a ton of stress had begun to build up inside of her, and ever since her little outburst she just felt more confused. Sakura shook her head and decided to head to the nearby river and just relax. 

Unbeknownst to her, another kunoichi with blonde hair poked her head out from her tent. 'Where is she going?' Ino thought. She decided to follow Sakura out of curiosity.

Sakura had walked to a small clearing where she found a silent river, flowing idyllic and quietly. The moon cast a wavy reflection in the water, letting its pale, silver streams of light illuminate every thing and glimmer off the surface of the stream. Sakura padded over to the shore of the water and removed her sandals and dipped it in the bubbling river. She relished the refreshing feel as it soaked her aching feet.

She exhaled deeply and let her viridian eyes scan the parameters. A few birds flew about, running their late night errands. Other than that everything seemed so still, and so quiet. The atmosphere was so peaceful yet so depressive in its own ways. The trees seemed to droop and wilt slightly, the night only adding to the effect. It reminded her so much of a beautiful yet sad song she had heard long ago. Slowly, Sakura let her lips open and the lyrics of the song sing from them.

Ino closed her eyes as she listened from behind a tree. She knew Sakura had a beautiful voice, courtesy of a few drunken karaoke nights, and everyone loved listening to her sing. The Yamanaka girl let the soft melody travel to her ears. She swayed her hips in response, imagining the slow tune in her head.

Sakura put more emotion in her words, giving them a greater effect. Her voice gained more confidence and she sang more beautifully. If she wasn't already a ninja she could have become a singer. Ino let her body glide gracefully with the lyrics like a ballerina. Every part of her body slid elegantly from one pirouette to the next. Sakura knew Ino was nearby- she could sense her chakra. But she didn't mind.

Two shadows stealthily crept through the thickets and stopped slightly when they heard a voice, undoubtedly female, singing divinely. The figures sported midnight colored cloaks with ruby clouds sewn on. They were members of an elite gang called the Akatsuki.

Itachi stopped and turned to listen to the voice. It sounded magnificent and he was intrigued by it.

The other figure sported odd, blue skin and beady, ebony eyes. He seemed more shark-like than human. "Where's that music coming from?"

The elder Uchiha followed the source, Kisame behind him, and found two girls. They quickly hid their chakra. One sat by the river bed, singing a sad yet lovely song, while the other sauntered nimbly to the music.

"Well," Kisame smirked, "What have we here?" His eyes were glued onto the blonde one, entranced by the way her body moved so artistically.

Itachi on the other hand, was more focused on the singer. Her tresses were an odd, rose color. He believed he had seen her once before when he went to pay his 'dear' little brother a visit. As he listened to her sing, he suddenly felt more relaxed than he did in a long while.

Through her words, Sakura started to release some pent up stress along with her raging emotions. Ino's swayed with more meaning also, dancing so perfectly she could have rivaled an advanced ballerina.

Itachi and Kisame watched from the treetops. The Sharingan holder closed his eyes and tilted his eyes back. He didn't know why, but he felt at peace and relaxed, like some part of him had been filled. The girl's singing calmed him. Kisame was hypnotized by Ino. He wanted her for his own, to entertain him with her dancing. A sudden feeling of want overcame him.

Sakura closed the song and hummed the ending melody of it. Ino wrapped her dance up and gave one last twirl before bowing elegantly. Itachi opened his eyes and Kisame rose.

"Sakura? Ino?" a voice called. The Akatsuki members saw a boy with dark, sea colored hair stroll towards the river.

"Keiji!" Sakura and Ino were startled.

"Where are you guys?"

Kisame and Itachi took the moment as a signal for them to leave. They quietly slipped back into the shadows and continued to leap toward their destination.

"Do you think we'll meet those girls again?" Kisame asked.

"Hn." Itachi answered.

The shark man scoffed at his answer. "Whatever."

As Sakura Ino headed back towards the camp, the girls couldn't help but shake the feeling that something had been "watching" them during their little musical escapade. It sent shivers raking down their spines just thinking about it. Was there somebody there?

* * *

There used to be song lyrics that went with this story but it turns out doesn't let you put song lyrics in stories anymore. How cruel. Well, if any of you are interested the song Sakura sang was called "Missing" by Evanescence. Ja, well, review now! 


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer-** I don't own Naruto.

**Author's Note**- First off, I want to thank all my reviewers for helping me decide the pairings. I've decided the pairings to be SasoSasuSakuItaOC(Takara) and DeiShikaInoKisaOC(Miyu). Sasori and Deidara will sort of be hopping around and switching between girls from time to time so those of you who voted SasoIno or DeiSaku won't be dissapointed. Oh, and another thing. Deidara's a boy lol.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

The deteriorated structures of two ancient pillars steadily came into view over the horizon. Sakura guessed it was probably the remnants of the once proud village gates. As they entered, they were shocked with the impoverished state of the town. Families were camped out in the leftovers of their torched huts, scraping together what they could for shelter. Sakura's eyes softened when she saw a small child wail about a cut on his knee.

"There, there," she cooed, "It's okay." She pulled out a fresh bandage and a small bottle of antiseptic. The child cried harder when he felt the stinging pain as Sakura cleaned his wound. She finished up and tied the cloth snuggly about his leg. "There, all better."

He sniffed. "Thanks, pretty lady."

"Oh," Sakura blushed, "You're welcome." As the child hopped off, Ino smirked at her.

"Pretty lady, huh? Why Sakura, I didn't know you went for younger men!"

"Shut up," Sakura pretended to glare at the blonde. It lasted for about two seconds before both burst out into a fit of giggles.

"Are you the ninja from Konoha?" a voice shouted. The Konoha trio looked up and saw a cherubic man with a great belly stroll up to them. He smiled and held out his hand. "Good day, I'm the mayor of this village. We are extremely grateful for your service."

"Oh, it's no problem," Keiji said.

"So, is there anything you will need? Some rest perhaps?"

"We're fine," Sakura answered.

"Alright, but please make yourself at home. Now, who do I talk to about the mission details?"

"That would be me," Keiji stepped up.

As the turquoise haired male spoke with the mayor, Sakura and Ino let their eyes wander. The place was mostly populated by tree houses; hence the name Village Hidden in the Trees, but it looked like boulders had been launched at them, knocking down the walls and roof. Wow… whoever attacked the village knocked it up pretty bad. What could the attackers possible want with this simple town? A voice knocked the girls from their thoughts.

"Oi," Keiji waved to them, "Come on! We need to get to work!"

"Fine!" they called back.

* * *

Ino arched her back and groaned. She had been standing around for the past three hours, doing absolutely nothing. She sighed and slumped against the wall behind her. Keiji had gone to guard farmers as they tried to raise their houses again. Sakura had also gotten a more appealing job healing the injured. As for Ino… well, she was stuck outside the peeling village gates, watching for any "intruders".

"Pbfft, as if," she snorted, "I haven't even seen a freaking squirrel for the last few hours, nonetheless a person."

Cerulean eyes did a quick scan of the area before slowly slipping around the corner. '_They won't mind if I take a few minutes off… hehe_.' Ino snickered to herself and tiptoed towards the heart of the town.

A mass of people crowded at the center of the village, where a freshwater spring ran. It used to be a fountain where citizens could come and fetch water, but now it had sort of turned into a sanctuary for the less fortunate who couldn't scrape together a home. But something seemed a little fishy… Why were there so many ninja guarding the fountain?

Ino raised her brows. There were about fifteen or so of the Village Hidden in the Trees' best jounin, standing alert around the fountain. Was their water so precious that they had to guard it so thoroughly?

They looked so serious… Ino decided not to question their motives lest she accidentally wind up in trouble. Keiji and Sakura would not like that. She sighed and continued through the streets, lost in her own train of thought.

* * *

Sakura wiped the sweat off her brow as she patted another child on the head. She had just finished healing his broken arm. He sniffled like the rest of the kids his age and ran back to his mother. For the last three hours she had been visiting family to family, giving medicine to the ill and healing the wounded.

It was very tiring, really, but her immense chakra source still remained high. "Hey, Yoshi!" she shouted to a dozing chuunin.

He bolted upright. "Eh? What happened, what'd I miss?"

"I'm going to take a break!" Sakura yelled.

"Oh," he yawned, "Alright Miss Haruno." He then pulled his forehead protector over his eyes and dozed off again. '_Wow, he's so responsible._' Sakura sweat dropped.

The Haruno girl stretched and groaned, relishing the feel of her exhausted muscles stretching. She walked through the center of the town, past the intriguing mass of people and the serious jounin around the fountain. She walked alongside buildings, looking at the simple architect. As she was about to round a corner, she suddenly bumped into something.

"Ow," the person she collided into grunted, "Watch where you're going!"

Sakura huffed. "Listen to your own advice! ...Ino?" Sakura blinked. There before her, smiling sheepishly was her best friend. "Wait, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be guarding the village gates."

"Hehe," Ino grinned, "Well I got tired of that so I decided to take a little break. And what about you? Aren't you supposed to be healing?"

"I got tired of that so I decided to take a little break."

"You copied my sentence!" Ino wrinkled her nose and tackled Sakura.

The girls giggled and prenteded to wrestle each other. Sakura locked Ino into a headlock with her immense strength. Ino growled and bit her arm. "Ow! Not fair!"

The blonde rolled out form her grip and spat. "Ew, you taste nasty."

"I bet you taste worse, Ino-_pig_." Sakura sneered. They had long past gotten over calling each other Ino-pig and Forehead-girl, but it was fun to bring them up sometimes.

"In your dreams, Forehead-girl," the blonde stuck her tongue out.

Suddenly, both girls gasped as they felt a familiar breeze rush past them. They could have sworn that they saw two shadows whirl by, with a few splotches of red on them. One shadow had a tiny touch of blue in the head area and Sakura saw two deep, scarlet dots on the other. For a split second Ino felt something cold and clammy, like a hand, touch her cheek. Sakura felt something warm fan her neck- like someone's breathing. And just as soon as it had come, the feelings were gone. They shuddered.

"D-did you feel that?" Ino sputtered.

"Uh huh…" Sakura shivered. Her senses suddenly picked up another chakra presence- there seemed to be two of them. Instantly, both girls whipped out a kunai and went into a defensive stance. Something was there… they could feel it.

* * *

Two black clothed figures rushed across the treetops, their feet moving so swiftly that it seemed like they barely touched the leaves at all. One shadow had an exceptionally long ponytail that whipped about in the wind as he glided through the air, while the other smirked and allowed the wind to smack his blue-skinned face. They saw a village up ahead: their target.

"Looks like it won't be long now," Kisame said.

"Hn," came the simple reply.

"Why do you think the leader sent on such a mundane mission?"

"I don't question his motives."

Kisame scoffed, "Whatever."

In a matter of moments, both partners had arrived at the Village Hidden in the Trees and were a bit puzzled as to why nobody seemed to guard the gates. They easily slipped through and hopped from branch to branch, since the village was actually more like a bundle of tree houses. As they made their way towards the center part of the village, two figures suddenly caught their eye.

Itachi saw a flash of pink, and Kisame a flash of yellow.

"Hey," the shark man grinned, "It's those girls again."

"Hn," Itachi grunted. Kisame rolled his eyes. Always the usual "Hn." Maybe he should start saying "Hn" all the time and see how Itachi liked it.

Then, Kisame got an idea. "Why don't we go down and scare them a little? It'll be fun."

The slightest of smirks tugged at the elder Uchiha's lips. "That doesn't sound so bad." Both males nodded and leapt down from the trees and snuck up behind the girls.

They smirked at the girl's startled expressions when the after wind from their fast arrival coursed past them. Kisame lifted a finger and lightly stroked Ino's cheek before disappearing in the thickets once again. Itachi bent down and put his face next to Sakura's, his warm breath fanning her neck. For a split second he was able to take a tiny whiff of her sweet, strawberry scent. Like Kisame, he too disappeared as soon as he came. As the girls recovered, the Akatsuki members watched smugly from the sidelines as they whipped out two kunai and went into defensive mode.

"Look at them," Kisame snickered.

"Hn," Itachi smirked.

Kisame and Itachi took one last glance at the females before heading toward the center of the town- where the true mission lay.

* * *

Sakura and Ino felt the presences fading, as if they were retreating. So far the presences had caused no harm, just shaking the girls up a bit, so they decided not to give chase. The remained defensive for a few more moments just to make sure, and when the chakra signatures were too far away to sense, they sank back down on the ground and sighed.

"You okay?" Sakura glanced at Ino.

"Yeah," she replied.

They both sighed again and put their kunai back in their holsters. Ino looked over at Sakura and saw that the pink haired kunoichi seemed to be zoning out, her eyes looked distant and fogged up. …She was probably thinking about Sasuke again.

Ino bit her lip. Should she tell her? Well, knowing Sakura she would understand and forgive Sasuke, but what next? Ino shifted uneasily.

Suddenly, a huge explosion erupted some distance away and townsfolk began screaming. They heard indistinct roaring as shinobi began to assemble into groups to fend off whatever caused the explosion, while innocent civilians scrambled about.

"What the hell was that?" the girls stood up and looked over. They quickly pumped chakra into their legs and hurried back towards the heart of the town- where the explosion was heard.

* * *

As soon as they arrived on the scene, it was complete and utter chaos. Women grabbed their children and flooded in random directions, desperately trying to find a way out. A great commotion was happening near the fountain, where they saw several ninja crowd around a certain spot. Occasionally, they could see a body fly up in the air: a dead nin.

"What's going on here?" Sakura grabbed a random nin and demanded answers from him.

"We're being attacked," he shouted as he tried to pull himself away from her.

"By who?" Ino stepped up.

"I don't know- two guys wearing black cloaks!" He tore himself from Sakura's grip and ran over to join the crowd of ninja.

Sakura and Ino threw their arms in front of them as another explosion ripped through the crowd of ninja, throwing them all back. Those who were closer to the source of the blast were killed instantly while the remainder collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. As the smoke cleared, the girls saw who caused it.

Standing smugly were two men, both sporting long, onyx cloaks like the nin from earlier had described. Patterned on the cloaks were crimson clouds, with matching red lining. The only thing you could see of them was their heads. Ino noticed that one had sickly blue skin, and beady, ebony eyes. He grinned, showing off wide array of sharp teeth. Ino shivered disgustedly. He looked like a shark.

Sakura was entranced by the other one. She knew that face anywhere- it was all too familiar.

It was the face of an Uchiha.

But not just any Uchiha, oh no, this one was the notorious murderer Itachi. She recognized him because he looked exactly like Sasuke, except with more matured features and two scars under eyes that were permanently Sharingan tinted. His hair was a contrast to his brother's: long and tame. He must have seen Sakura's gaze because he returned it with a stoic stare of his own.

"Ino," Sakura said, "These aren't regular ninja."

"What do you mean?" she said.

"T-These are… the Akatsuki."

The Yamanaka girl's eyes widened. Of course she had heard of the Akatsuki before. They were probably the most feared and infamous organization in the entire ninja world. Their members were said to be ruthless and vile monsters.

Itachi and Kisame walked over to the fountain and planted an exploding tag on the marble. About two seconds later, the tag detonated and sent huge chunks of marble sailing through the air. Kisame conjured a water shield to prevent any from hitting them. Itachi bent down to the remains of the fountain and found a scroll, still intact despite the blast. Advanced chakra seals and tags were placed all over the thing.

"So that's why they were guarding the fountain," Ino muttered, "There's a forbidden scroll implanted inside of it."

They watched as a familiar male with turquoise hair lunged at the duo. After a brief exchange of jutsus and punches and kicks, the man was thrown unconscious to the floor. Kisame stepped up to finish him off.

"KEIJI!" the girls screamed. Kisame stopped and Itachi looked over.

"We'll have to fight them," Sakura narrowed her eyes and drew out more weapons.

"Are you serious?" Ino looked bewildered.

"It's part of our mission- to protect the village, and to save Keiji!" Sakura shouted as she rushed toward the two. Ino inhaled and mustered up as much strength as she could, then too ran at the Akatsuki members.

Itachi cocked his head at them. Were they seriously intending to fight them? As Sakura neared, he easily caught her wrist and frowned. He'd have to kill her now- but it was such a waste. She had an exquisite voice- it'd be a shame to let it die. But he had no choice. Itachi punched her in the stomach, and, while she was recovering from the hit, he grabbed her kunai and stabbed her through the heart.

The Sakura before him burst into a cloud of smoke and turned into a log. '_A replacement jutsu_.' She reappeared behind him and punched him in the face. He caught that too. Sakura grunted as he squeezed her fist, almost as if he intended to break the bones in it. Sakura leaned back and swept her leg under Itachi's, attempting to trip him.

Ino had went for Kisame and yelled as she threw numerous punches and kicks at him. He easily dodged them all. He mocked un-interest and pretended to yawn. Ino growled and infused chakra into her arms and quickly performed a jutsu. She then blasted him. Kisame smirked and drew out his gigantic Samehada blade. He placed it in front of him and allowed it to soak up the chakra powered blast, disarming it.

"What?" Ino's eyes widened. The shark man then wove his hands together in a complex jutsu and summoned a water dragon from the fountain. It lashed out at Ino and roared. She quickly rolled out of the way.

Sakura whirled around and roundhouse kicked Itachi. He caught that too. She growled and performed a turnover kick, aiming for his cheek. Using his other free hand, Itachi caught it. '_Damn, is there anything he can't catch?_' Sakura thought, frustrated. She then transferred chakra into her hands and leaned back on the ground, anchoring her upper body while her legs were still trapped in the elder Uchiha's grasp. Then, she used her legs to flip him over.

Some distance away, Keiji gradually regained consciousness and groggily tried to focus his eyes. He gasped as he realized Sakura and Ino were fighting against the two who were about to kill him earlier. He saw them exchange move after move. And he watched as the Akatsuki members finally got the best of them and threw the girls to the ground.

Throughout the entire fight, Kisame and Itachi had purposely been holding back. They liked to toy with the girls- it was actually very entertaining.

"I think we'll kill you last," Kisame smirked at them. He and his partner then turned to exterminate the rest of the town. The remaining citizens screamed and hid as far as they could behind the ruined fountain.

"Wait," Sakura breathed heavily, "I'll strike you a deal."

Itachi raised his eyebrows. A deal? Interesting…"Name your price."

"Let the village go," Sakura swept her hands up to show them the shivering citizens poking their heads around walls, "And in return I will go with you."

"I will too!" Ino walked confidently next to Sakura. They weren't afraid. The mission stated to protect the village, and they were- even if it meant sacrificing themselves.

But inside the girls weren't too sure about this proposition they offered. There was a slim chance that the boys would accept her offer. They were just Konoha's most elite and beloved kunoichi, nothing more. And even if Itachi and Kisame decided to take the girls… there'd be no telling what kind of unspeakable horrors they'd endure at the Akatsuki. They might be forced to perform missions for them, or become their slaves, working until their very last breaths. Or maybe, something entirely different and wrong… They shuddered.

"No!" Keiji hollered, "Don't do it! Please, Sakura, Ino, don't."

"We have no choice." Sakura's voice was firm and strong. She glared at Itachi with as much loathing as she could muster, "It's for the good of the village and yours, Keiji."

Ino nodded in agreement. She shivered when she saw the creepy shark guy lick his lips. Itachi silently approached Sakura and circled her, examining her with crimson eyes, looking her toned physique up and down. Kisame did the same with Ino. She couldn't help but shake more at how he seemed to leer at her. It was disgusting.

Kisame had already made his choice. He wanted Ino. He liked the way she danced and how her body seemed to flow so gracefully, like the river itself. It calmed him since she reminded him so much of the water he loved. He wanted her to dance for him. But Kisame snarled slightly when he saw that she drew back from his hideous face.

Yes, that was it. His face. That's what it was ever about. Just because he looked like a shark didn't mean anything...did it? He growled. This world was only based on looks and nothing more. People only cared about looks. That's why Ino was a bit apprehensive about him- he was a gruesome shark monster. Inside, Kisame was a fun person and was a bit like Naruto- but nobody ever saw past his skin. Itachi was a sick and screwed up bastard, yet he got all the women because he was handsome. Kisame clenched his fists but soon let it go. By the time he was done with the blonde kunoichi, she would learn to see _past_ one's outer appearance.

Itachi grabbed Sakura by the chin and gazed deep in her eyes. The medic nin pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him, determined not to show him any signs of weakness. The kunoichi knew she was probably looking into the eyes of death itself, but she would not tremble. The elder Uchiha was intrigued by her defiance and stared more intently at her.

Suddenly, Itachi crushed his lips against Sakura's. Her eyes widened and she let out a muffled gasp.

Ino and Keiji gaped. Kisame chuckled, "My, Itachi, you're so impatient. Can't you wait until we get back to base to play with your new toy?" Ino glanced at Kisame and backed away. She definitely didn't want scary shark guy to plant a smooch on her. The mental image made her shudder.

Finally, Itachi pulled away form Sakura, leaving her blushing and speechless. Her jaw hung open as she struggled to make some kind of sound.

"It's a deal," Itachi said. Usually, the Akatsuki didn't make deals like this, but this time it was different. Something told Itachi that he had to.

Keiji shakily pulled himself up, "No, Sakura, Ino, don't do it! You don't know what kind of men they are- they might not even hold their word."

The girls glanced sympathetically at their team member. True, there was no way to ensure that the Akatsuki members would hold their promise, since Ino and Sakura weren't exactly worth anything. Other than Sakura being Konoha's top kunoichi, they weren't princesses or anything worth keeping around for ransom.

"Don't worry," Sakura's eyes softened at him, "I'm sure they'll keep their promise. You just take care of yourself."

"Enough," Itachi said. He then hit a pressure on the Haruno girl's neck, knocking her unconscious. She gasped and her eyes closed, her body becoming limp and slowly sank to the floor. Itachi easily caught her and slung her light body over his shoulder. As he did so, that intoxicating scent that radiated from her cropped tresses found its way to his nose again.

Kisame had a notion to do the same thing to Ino. Though knocking her unconscious would ensure that she wouldn't attempt to escape, it was no fun if she was asleep. He pulled out his Samehada and aimed it at Ino's back. He could see her muscles tense. "Start walking," he commanded and gave her a jab in between the shoulder blades.

Ino obeyed and walked forward, her head held high. She shot a "goodbye" glance at Keiji before disappearing into the woods with Kisame. Itachi stayed behind and turned towards the aqua haired male. "When you return to Konoha," he instructed, "Tell them not to send anyone after us. These girls belong to us now." Afterwards, he drew back and followed Kisame into the shadows.

Keiji was left speechless. He stared at the spot where they stood for about an hour, his mind debating over what to do next.

Finally, after a long, drawn out silence, he stood up.

"I need to get back to Konoha."

* * *

Don't worry, Sasuke and Shikamaru haven't dissapeared. They will reappear in the next chapter! Yay! Or, "Boo" for those who cursed at them lol. Well, thanks again for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer- **I don't own Naruto. Just Takara and Miyu. And Keiji.

**Author's Note- **Ah, so sorry for the prolonged update. See, I have other stories and I needed to update them first before I did this one. So yeah.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

The breaths came out ragged and uneven, his lungs burning with a threat to explode. His legs pounded faster against the rough ground, chakra being pumped into them at full throttle. Sweat rained down the matted, turquoise hair like he had just emerged form a thunderstorm. Keiji fought to keep himself awake but found the task increasingly difficult since his body was screaming for rest. His mind was numb from lack of sleep, and it felt like he was treading on flaming knives- burning hot metal that cut into his feet.

But he couldn't stop. If he wanted to save Sakura and Ino, that is. Itachi's words echoed in his mind.

"_Tell them not to send anyone after us. These girls belong to us now."_

No! No they didn't! They were faithful kunoichi of Konoha, and they were going to bring them back. That was a promise.

Keiji squinted at the sun, setting rapidly over the horizon. It painted a fiery scene. Reds, purples, oranges, and golds all clashed in a gigantic medley of colors. Over on the eastern side of the sky, the deep midnight tones of dusk slowly began to creep over. So far Keiji had been running for a whole day- straight. No food, no water, no rest, which would explain his somewhat deranged state. Normally it would have taken about three days to return to Konoha, but with his unceasing sprint Keiji had managed to cut that time in half.

Steadily, the said city rose over the horizon. Positioned at the gates were two burly looking guards, who pointed their weapons at him. "Identification?"

"Dammit!" Keiji growled, "It's me, Keiji Nakagawa! Let me in, I've got news for the Hokage!"

As he tried to push through them, they held their blades up and pointed them at his face, "I'm sorry but we cannot permit you to enter."

The turquoise haired male cursed openly and hurriedly whipped out a worn looking scroll. He flashed its contents at them, along with a photo. The guards nodded, "We apologize for the inconvenience, Keiji-san. But you know, it's the rules. And what happened to you? You look like crap."

"I don't have time for this!" he yelled and sprinted off towards Hokage Tower.

"What's gotten into him?"

"I don't know," they shrugged.

Keiji literally dragged himself to the tower and collapsed at a nearby bench, his shirt drenched with sweat. He glanced at the clock tower and noticed that it was about seven o' clock… yet the streets seemed so empty. Huh… that's weird. Usually the village was bustling with nightlife, but today it seemed that everyone was… gone.

"Oh well," he panted, "I'll think about it later. For now I need to get to Tsunade-sama."

Little did he know of a certain double wedding that was going on at the same time.

* * *

Sasuke and Shikamaru sighed as they heard their friends and family chatter and assemble in the wooden pews, a flurry of dresses and formal suits ruffling. A small bead of sweat rolled down the Uchiha's face. It was finally the day of the wedding. The day he had been dreading so very much. Shikamaru looked forlorn as he stood next to him. They had hoped Ino and Sakura would return from their mission in time to attend the wedding… Sasuke and Shikamaru sighed and adjusted their tuxedoes.

Suddenly, everything fell silent and the organ music began to echo throughout the spacious chapel. Sasuke and Shikamaru felt their throats tighten. This was it…

Two flower girls tossed rose petals out of their baskets, decorating the plush, white carpet that had been laid out for the procession. Two ring bearers followed behind the girls, each holding silken, silver pillows bearing the rings. They were magnificent things, those rings. Hand-crafted, each detail was filed down to perfection, with diamonds imported from only the best mines. Then came the best men and maids of honor. Naruto and Chouji were the best men, while the maids of honor were just some slutty friends of Takara and Miyu.

And then came the brides.

Sasuke and Shikamaru kept their gazes focused ahead of them, a heavy lump settling in their stomachs.

The Uchiha heir felt a presence appear next to him. It was Takara. She wore an expensive, designer dress that exposed much of her cleavage and flowed elegantly behind her. The bodice clung to her like a second skin, revealing a small lump that began to form in her stomach. To be honest, she looked absolutely stunning… but she still wasn't the woman of his dreams.

Shikamaru felt the same way. Miyu looked adorable with her puffy skirts and flowered designs, but she wasn't the woman he was hoping for. Sasuke had an excuse to not want Takara… but what about Shikamaru?

All his life he considered Ino one of his closest friends. He never actually thought about her in sense of a spouse, but more as his loud, excitable blonde friend. She was always by his side, standing with him through thick and thing- and he took that for granted. When he met Miyu, he was instantly smitten by her innocent exterior and philosophical thoughts. In a way you could have said it was love at first sight. Shikamaru thought he had finally found a suitable wife and everything would be normal.

He was wrong.

The minute he saw Ino's stricken face in the Hokage's office, he had finally realized his mistake. He didn't want Miyu- he wanted Ino. He felt the guilt and nostalgia wash over him like a wave. And that old saying rang through his head _"They say you never truly appreciate something until it's gone…"_ Shikamaru was experiencing that right now. When he saw Ino, his feelings for Miyu were questioned. But gradually, the more he stayed in Konoha, the more he realized his mistake. And by now it was too late.

The minister smiled at the crowd of people and sent a soft gaze at the soon-to-be newlyweds. He then opened his bible and began reciting the opening speech of the ceremony.

"We are gathered here today to take part in the most time-honored celebration of the human family, uniting a woman and a man in marriage," the minister smiled, "Sasuke Uchiha and Takara Kido, and Nara Shikamaru and Miyu Ishiguru have come to witness before us, telling of their love for each other. We remember theirs is a love whose source is the affection of those who loved them into being."

The two grooms flinched. For some reason something didn't feel right… like something was coming. They ignore the thought and listened to the minister continue his speech.

"We remind them that they are performing an act of complete faith, each in the other; that the heart of their marriage will be the relationship they create. In a world where faith often falls short of expectation, it is a tribute to these two who now join hands and hearts in perfect faith."

* * *

"TSUNADE-SAMA?" Keiji hollered, "WHERE ARE YOU?" His head whipped around eagerly but found no sighs of life at the office. "Hello? Anybody?" He threw open the doors to Hokage tower and opened every single door he could find.

"Nobody's here," a woman said as she poked around the corner, "They've all gone to the wedding."

"Wedding?" Keiji's brows furrowed.

The woman's jaw dropped, "You don't know? Oh my god- Where have you been? It's the double wedding with Sasuke Uchiha and Nara Shikamaru! All of Konoha is invited!"

"Really. All of Konoha."

"Well, not exactly. Sasuke and Shikamaru invited only their closest friends to the ceremony. Everyone else is waiting at the reception."

"What are you doing here then?"

"I'm the last to leave," she snorted, "I'm just turning off all the lights and then heading home to get ready and leave for the wedding."

"Okay, whatever, do what you want," he breathed, "Is the Hokage at the wedding?"

"Well of course she is," the secretary replied smartly, "Everyone is. Well, everyone except you. What's up with the outfit? Looks like you just came out of a river."

"Look, forget that. Can you tell me which church they're having the wedding at?"

"It's the main chapel near Konoha square. The big one," she quirked an eyebrow at him, "Why? What happened?"

"Something terrible," Keiji grumbled before leaping out a nearby window. The secretary gasped and ran over to see if he was alright. She saw him put whatever chakra he had left in his feet to ensure a safe landing and watched him sprint towards Sasuke's and Shikamaru's weddings.

* * *

"Sasuke Uchiha," the minister turned towards him, "will you receive Takara Kido as your wife? Do you pledge to her your love, faith and tenderness, cherishing her with a husband's loyalty and devotion?"  
_  
_But Sasuke didn't hear him. He was lost in his own world, deep in thought. Takara coughed and nudged him. "…I do."

"Takara Kido, will you receive Sasuke Uchiha as your husband? Do you pledge to him your love, faith and tenderness, cherishing him with a wife's loyalty and devotion?"  
_  
_"I do," Takara's voice held an arrogant air about it. The minister nodded and repeated the same process with the other couple.

"Nara Shikamaru, will you receive Miyu Ishiguru as your wife? Do you pledge to her your love, faith and tenderness, cherishing her with a husband's loyalty and devotion?"

He seemed to pause for a moment. For some reason there was a naggy little voice in the back of his head that said he shouldn't do it. "…I do."

"Miyu Ishiguru, will you receive Nara Shikamaru as your husband? Do you pledge to him your love, faith and tenderness, cherishing him with a wife's loyalty and devotion?"

"I do." Miyu seemed a bit too cheerful.

* * *

Keiji's head was on fire, feet flying through the streets of their own accord. He saw that great chapel the secretary spoke of enter his line of sight, but that wasn't the only thing there. There was a gigantic mass of people crowded around the church, eagerly awaiting their turn to congratulate the newlyweds on their ways out. There were several guards posted outside the building to guard it from any unwanted visitors.

He gulped and doubted the guards would let him in. Nonetheless, he had to get in. Every minute that was wasted was another minute lost from rescuing Sakura and Ino. If they hurried they might be able to catch up to the Akatsuki members before they reached base. Keiji pushed through the crowd, earning tons of protests and kicks on his way in.

"Sorry buddy," a guard said, "you can't go in there."

"But I've got a message for the Hokage!"

"Sorry, but you've got to wait until after the ceremony."

"This is a matter of life and death here!"

The guards scoffed at him as if he were some mad man. Well, Keiji supposed he did look like some deranged psychopath… Bags under his eyes, sweat dripping down him like rain, panting heavily, and screaming about life and death nonsense.

"Listen, two kunoichi have been taken by the Akatsuki, and I need to tell the Hokage before they get killed!"

"Psh," they snorted, "Right. Get out of here, you."

Keiji growled and secretly reached for a weapon. He had no other choice. "This might get a little messy."

* * *

"Sasuke Uchiha and Takara Kido, Nara Shikamaru and Miyu Ishiguru, receive each other from your fathers and mothers, who give you into each other's keeping, by saying now, each to the other, words which will tell of your love."

With half a heart, Sasuke began. "I, Sasuke Uchiha, take you, Takara Kido to be no other than yourself, in all the ways life may find us, tending you in sickness and rejoicing with you in health, as long as we both shall live to love."

Takara narrowed her eyes at Sasuke's defeated tone. He'd better not be thinking about that pink-haired bitch again. She huffed and replied to him, "I, Takara Kido, take you, Sasuke Uchiha to be no other than yourself, in all the ways life may find us, tending you in sickness and rejoicing with you in health, as long as we both shall live to love."

The process repeated with the other couple, but like Sasuke, Shikamaru's voice seemed to be laced with a depressive tone.

"I, Nara Shikamaru, take you, Miyu Ishiguru to be no other than yourself, in all the ways life may find us, tending you in sickness and rejoicing with you in health, as long as we both shall live to love."

"I, Miyu Ishiguru, take you, Nara Shikamaru to be no other than yourself, in all the ways life may find us, tending you in sickness and rejoicing with you in health, as long as we both shall live to love."

"Will you all now give and receive a ring?" The priest nodded.

"We will." The ring bearers stepped up and they exchanged them. Takara and Miyu smirked, while Sasuke and Shikamaru held a regretful look. The priest smiled.

And then came those famous words.

"If anyone has any reason why these four should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your silence."

"THEY'VE BEEN TAKEN!" a male suddenly burst through the door of the chapel and stumbled inside. There were numerous cuts and bruises throughout his body, and he looked as if he'd been through hell and back. "HELP! TSUNADE-SAMA, WHERE ARE YOU? THEY'VE BEEN TAKEN!"

"What the hell?" Naruto stood up, followed by Hinata and the rest of the rookie nine.

Instantly, every head in the room snapped to the direction of the newcomer. A few women in the back screamed and backed away. Security guards came to take the crazed Keiji out of the church, but he yanked out several kunai and fought them off. "TSUNADE-SAMA, PLEASE! LISTEN TO ME!"

"Terribly sorry," the guards grunted, "We will remove this nuisance immediately." Though in his semi-psychotic state of mind, Keiji managed to fend them off and yell something incoherent towards the Hokage.

"What?" Tsunade faced the boy, "Keiji? Is that you? What are you doing- you look like a mess!"

"YOU'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING QUICK!" Keiji hollered. He already went through so much trouble trying to deliver this message that he wanted everyone to hear it clearly.

Tsunade attempted to shush him, "Can this wait? We're in the middle of a wedding."

Keiji waved her off and wormed away. He quickly stood up, determined not to let any more interferences ruin his message. Couldn't these people see that the lives of two valuable kunoichi hung delicately in the balance?

"Keiji, please, I'll deal with you-"

"TSUNADE, DAMMIT, LISTEN TO ME!" the guards were now closing in. Keiji could only yell snippets of his message. "SAKURA AND INO!" Keiji narrowly dodged a punch, "TAKEN!" he used a kunai to block a senbon, "AKATSUKI!"

At the mere mention of the words, Sasuke and Shikamaru's eyes widened. In a heartbeat, Sasuke had run from the altar and yanked Keiji up from the collar. "What? What happened?" Shikamaru joined them. "Sakura and Ino? Akatsuki?"

Keiji coughed and breathed heavily, feeling the exhaustion finally catching up to him. The jounin fought to keep his eyes open. "T-The Akatsuki attacked us… Itachi Uchiha and his partner… kidnapped Sakura and Ino… Please… save them before they get killed…" He didn't get to say any more and was drowned in sleep.

Sasuke dropped Keiji and froze. Shikamaru's face turned a deathly pale, the skin so stark that it rivaled the brides' dresses. Both men stood glued to the spot, a foreign emotion painted on their color-drained faces. Their shoulders shook and their eyes narrowed in anger.

Sasuke felt his breathing hitch and his eyes flash a deadly crimson. "Itachi." Everyone in the chapel watched as a deadly aura seemed to resonate from the infuriated Uchiha. It was just like the time when he learned that Itachi had come back in search of the Kyuubi… except this time it was far more intense.

"ITACHI!" Sasuke hollered, eyes turning Sharingan. He ripped off his bowtie and stormed towards the exit.

"Sasuke-kun!" Takara yelled, "Where are you going? What if that guy was telling a lie?"

"Shut up!" he snapped. Takara was taken aback, "Postpone the damn wedding. I'm going to get Sakura back!"

Shikamaru sank to the floor. He wasn't breathing. He couldn't- it felt as if someone had placed a tourniquet over his chest. Slowly, he removed his wedding ring and stared at it, his face contorting in a mixture of pain and anger. "DAMN IT ALL!" he yelled as he threw the offending object to the floor and stormed after Sasuke. "INO!"

The rest of the wedding procession stared with their mouths agape. Nobody in front was really able to hear what Keiji said, except for the Hokage.

Tsunade felt her heart skip a few beats as she clenched her fists. Her apprentice… her second daughter… taken by the Akatsuki. And by Itachi Uchiha- the missing nin from Konoha! The Hokage grit her teeth and chased after the boys, "All eligible anbu to the Hokage's office," she barked, "Now!"

Every one of the rookie nine, along with a few others, complied and hurriedly rushed to the said building.

Takara and Miyu watched in mute horror as their wedding walked out on them- literally! Takara's face twisted in such rage that her grip on the richly decorated bouquet squeezed the flowers into nothing more than withered sticks. Miyu felt the tears well up in her olive eyes and she stomped her foot childishly. No! No, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen!

Soon the entire procession had left, even the priest. The crowd in front of the chapel had shifted towards Hokage Tower, where all the commotion was going on. The chapel was abandoned in such a hurry that some people knocked over the decorations, ruining everything and leaving behind two very flustered brides.

Takara and Miyu shrieked and threw their bouquets on the floor. They were so close too! Only a few more minutes and they would have been married! Takara ripped off her tiara and stomped on it with her stiletto clad feet.

"Sh," Miyu consoled her, "You shouldn't act that way. It's not good for the baby."

"Do I care?" Takara spat, "This isn't even that wretched man's baby!"

"What?" Miyu said.

The redhead scoffed, "You really are pathetic, you know that?"

Being the whore she was, Takara was already pregnant a few weeks in advance of Sasuke's arrival. With all the men she flirted with, you honestly didn't expect her to stay miraculously unfertilized until Sasuke's arrival, did you? The Uchiha's face was known everywhere, and the minute she saw it Takara knew she had to find some way to make the man hers, but she realized that he was already smitten with some other wench back home. That was Sakura.

So began Takara's plan. She did place something in his drink, but it wasn't an aphrodisiac. It was actually a mixture of one and a few sleeping herbs. And when he woke up, Takara announced that she was pregnant. At first Sasuke was horrified and in denial, but when Takara took him to the midwife, the midwife confirmed that she was indeed pregnant. And so that was Takara's plan. She convinced Sasuke that the baby she carried was his, therefore he was forced to marry her, giving her access to his fortune and fame.

Who was the baby's real father? Pbfft, hell if she knew, but one thing was for certain: it wasn't Sasuke's.

"Come on," Takara snarled and yanked Miyu along. Truth was that Takara didn't like Miyu. She was just a naïve, gullible little thing that could be easily tricked into doing things, namely Takara's dirty work.

"What's going on here? Why did everyone leave?" Miyu asked, "And what do you mean by not Sasuke's baby?"

"Don't question me," Takara snapped, "And our men left to chase after those whores again."

Miyu's eyes widened, "You mean Sakura and Ino?"

"Yeah, whatever," the redhead was too infuriated to act nice. Sakura and Ino, Sakura and Ino, it was all about Sakura and Ino! Takara fumed. She was going to make sure those bitches would stay out of the way once and for all.

* * *

"Don't touch me."

"I can touch you if I want, you belong to us now."

"Pervert!"

Ino huffed and turned away from Kisame. Every time she looked at his pale, blue countenance she felt shivers run down her spine… and not the good kind either. The "Ew! Gross!" kind. At least Sakura was a little better off. She had woken up a few hours ago and Itachi had set her down, but in the process he had bound her hands with a "chakra leash" that he controlled.

The Yamanaka girl glanced sadly at her friend. Throughout the entire journey, her usual, dazzling chartreuse irises were distant and dull. Ino wanted to ask what was wrong but didn't because of Kisame's and Itachi's presences.

Sakura sighed heavily. Today was the day of the wedding. The day the only man she ever loved married another woman. '_At least they'll live happily ever after…_' Sakura thought. '_Unlike me…_'

"Move faster," Itachi commanded.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him, "At least I'm moving."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. Just a second ago she seemed so forlorn, and now she was acting defiant. Let's see what other fluctuating moods she had…

"Go faster."

"No."

He sent an electric volt through the chakra leash. Sakura yelped and glared at him. So what if she was defying probably one of the most dangerous Akatsuki members? It wasn't like he could make her life any worse. Okay, yeah, maybe he could, but that wasn't the point.

"Don't do that again." she said.

He sent another one. She yelped and jumped. Kisame and Ino watched with mild humor.

"Stop!"

Kisame decided he wanted to have a little fun too. He gave Ino another jab with his Samehada between the shoulder blades just for the heck of it.

The blonde squeaked, "Ow! What's that thing made of? Shark skin?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

Itachi smirked. Playing with them was fun. Sakura decided not to say anything. Ino and Sakura kept stealing unsure glances at each other, an unspoken question hanging in the air.

Finally, after a long, drawn out silence, Sakura decided to ask the question. "Exactly what will we be doing with us at the Akatsuki?"

Itachi and Kisame shared a glance and smirked. "You two can sing and dance, right?"

The girls nodded.

"Then you're our new entertainers."

* * *

Whew, long chapter. You'd better appreciate it! Haha just kidding. No but seriously leave a review. I would have updated sooner, but my other stories were crying out for attention. Poor babies. Hehe. I feel like Kakashi giving a lame excuse as to why he's late.

Anyway, thanks for reading! No flames please. But do reviews. (Emphasizes the "do".)


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer- **I don't own Naruto. Just Takara, Miyu and Keiji. And whatever random OC I decide to throw your way.

**Author's Note- **There used to be song lyrics in this story but I learned that you can't have songs that aren't yours. How cruel. Oh well. The song that used to go here was called "Breathe no More" by Evanescence.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

"Tsunade-sama said they'd be at the gates by now," Neji yelled to Naruto, "Let's hope they haven't left yet."

"Right!" Naruto nodded and leapt across another rooftop.

Both boys were currently in hot pursuit of Sasuke Uchiha and Nara Shikamaru. Somehow, both men managed to change into their anbu gear at miraculous speeds and were now going after Sakura and Ino. Naruto and the others had to scramble to get out of their wedding outfits and chase after them. Tsunade had sent Neji and Naruto to retrieve Sasuke and Shikamaru, while the rest headed off to Hokage Tower.

"I think I see them!" the kitsune squinted and saw two shadows, "And they're at the gates-just like Baa-chan said."

"Well don't let them get any further," Neji said as he swept down and landed straight in front of the gates. "Stop."

Sasuke and Shikamaru came to a screeching halt, both snarling and ripping off their masks. The Uchiha's eyes were still narrowed and tinted Sharingan. Sasuke glared at Neji. "Get out of the way," his voice was murderous, "Or I'll force you."

Neji froze and narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha, "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Sasuke snarled and fingered two kunai. Suddenly, Naruto appeared as well and positioned himself in front of Shikamaru.

"Move, Naruto," Shikamaru's voice was equally as threatening as Sasuke's.

"Tsunade-baachan said you guys can't just leave like that!" Naruto raised his hands to block them from leaving, "We have to go to her office and plan things out first!"

"We don't have time for that," Sasuke became more irritated by the second.

"Every second we waste Ino and Sakura could be one second closer to death," Shikamaru argued, "And I sure as hell am not going to let Ino die!"

"But-" Naruto stepped up.

"Damn it!" Sasuke yelled, "MOVE!" In his frustration, he aimed a kick at them. In return, Naruto launched a counter kick of his own.

"Stop!" a shrill voice shrieked and grabbed both of the boys' feet, blocking their attacks. Sasuke and Naruto withdrew their kicks and stared at the person who dared interrupt the fight. It was Tsunade. She was flustered. "Sasuke Uchiha and Nara Shikamaru: you two have no right to act impulsively like that. And for starters, you two don't even have a clue where to start looking!"

Sasuke and Shikamaru growled, clenching their fists. Though nobody saw, the ring Sakura gave to Sasuke began to glow.

"_It's a special stone. It will lead you to the one you love if you ever happen to lose her..."_

"Now come on," Tsunade sighed sadly, "Let's get to my office. We need to develop a plan." Reluctantly, Sasuke and Shikamaru sheathed their kunai before following the Hokage, Naruto and Neji trailing at their feet.

* * *

"Sakura and Ino were recently sent on a mission to the Village Hidden in the Trees," Tsunade said, "They were due to return the day after tomorrow." The Hokage sat at her desk, with a map of the five great shinobi nations splayed before her. Naruto, Neji, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Tenten, Shizune, and Hinata were crowded around her. The rest of the anbu and ninja were sent to calm the rising crowd that had formed around Hokage Tower. They wanted to know what happened. 

"We have no idea of their current status," the sannin said, "All Keiji told us that Sakura and Ino were taken by the Akatsuki- specifically Itachi Uchiha and his partner. Keiji also hinted that the girls might be in mortal danger."

"T-Tsunade-s-sama," Hinata asked, "W-What d-do you t-think will h-happen to them?" her voice crackled more than it usually did. True, over the years the once shy Hyuuga had gained more confidence and gradually began to lose her habit of stuttering, but in a situation like this it put her on edge and her nervousness returned. Naruto put a reassuring arm around his girlfriend's shoulders.

"I don't know," the Hokage sighed, "The Akatsuki are known to be ruthless- as well as twisted. We don't know what they could be doing with Sakura and Ino. It could be anything- possibly even torturing them for information."

Instantly, all of them sucked in a sharp breath. "I hope it's nothing like that," Shizune muttered.

"We all do," Neji said, "But the Akatsuki are unpredictable." Behind him, Sasuke grit his teeth. Shikamaru clenched his fists so hard that the nails left little red crescents in his flesh.

"Neji, Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru," Tsunade said, "You four will be the expedition sent to retrieve Sakura and Ino." In the back of her head, Tsunade regretted allowing Sasuke and Shikamaru to join the group. Right now the boys were acting on impulse, and she feared they would do something rash that'd jeopardize the entire mission. But nonetheless, even if she forbade them, they'd go anyways, so she had no choice.

Suddenly, the door to the Hokage's office burst open as two familiar and flustered looking brides stumbled in. "Take us with you!" they shouted.

"What?" Naruto stare at them with an incredulous look, "No! This is way too dangerous for you guys!"

"We have some ninja training," Miyu said, "So we can be of some help."

"I-It's not s-safe," Hinata warned. Did these chuunins actually think they could handle an S-Class mission?

Takara's violet eyes widened as she feigned hurt. A hand flew to her chest in a dramatic manner and she lowered her head, forcing tears to come out. "B-But," she mock-sobbed, "I-I just w-want to b-be with m-my h-h-husband…"

"_Correction_," Tenten snarled, "Your _fiancée_. You two aren't officially married yet."

Takara flashed the weapons mistress a bitch-don't-mess-with-me look, "So? It was all that Kanji's fault. If he hadn't interrupted then Sasuke-kun and I would be happily married by now."

"Keiji," Tsunade corrected as Neji restrained Tenten from pummeling the redhead, "And if it weren't for him then we would have never known-"

"I don't care!" Takara snapped, "You could have gotten some other ninja to chase after Sakeru and what's-her-face, instead of ruining my wedding!" Takara was pissed. She had come so close to marrying Sasuke-so close to his fortune. All that money…so close yet so far.

"How can you be so insensitive!" Shizune near screamed. It was the first time anyone had seen her so hysterical like that, since Shizune was usually a calm and collected kunoichi. But Sakura was like a younger sister to her, so her worry was understandable.

Takara opened her mouth to retort but Tsunade beat her to it.

"STOP!" the sannin yelled and stomped her foot on the ground, causing the room to tremor a bit. Everyone immediately shut their mouths. Furiously, the Hokage turned towards Takara and Miyu, "There is no way two chuunin like you can be able to take on this mission! Leave it to the others. I am _not_ putting you on the team, is that clear?"

"Hai," Miyu frowned. Takara merely snorted.

"Now get out of here," Tsunade pointed an angered finger towards the door.

Once the girls were outside, Naruto turned to Sasuke, "How can you marry that…that… bitch!" he yelled. Tenten, Hinata, and Neji nodded their heads in agreement. Sasuke growled and turned away gruffly.

"Continued, Tsunade," Shikamaru said in a frustrated voice. The longer he stayed in the office the more restless he became. The clock was ticking…

"You four have an hour to prepare," Tsunade said, "once at the gate, I will have messengers there with the necessary scrolls and documentation…"

Outside the Hokage's office, a certain redhead was pressing her ear up against the door, listening to the muffled voices chat inside. Miyu stood behind Takara, fiddling nervously with her fingers. As Tsunade started announcing the mission briefing, the devious gears in Takara's head started to turn.

"What are we going to do now?" Miyu said.

The redhead looked at her as if she was stupid, "We sneak in of course."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

Takara smirked, "Watch me."

* * *

The Akatsuki base was a cold and dark place, so inevitably gloomy with a depressive atmosphere that could dampen even Naruto's spirit. Cautiously, Ino and Sakura followed Itachi as he led them through the stone hallway, with Kisame at the rear to make sure they didn't escape. They had just arrived at the base. 

After a few moments, Itachi had led them to a somewhat spacious chamber that they presumed to be the "living" room. As soon as they set foot in the room, Sakura and Ino felt someone slam them up against the cold stone wall- a clawed hand gripping their throats painfully.

"Who are you?" it hissed, "And what is your purpose here?"

"Easy, Zetsu," Kisame smirked and plopped down in a nearby chair, "Those girls are with us."

A few of the other members in the room raised their heads in interest. Was that so?

"Bringing back two girls? Alive?" a male with silver hair twirled his rosary beads, "Hmph. I would have rather had them killed."

The man Kisame referred to as Zetsu gave a growl at the girls before retreating back in his dark corner. As soon as he let them go, Sakura and Ino fell to the ground, coughing for air. Sakura looked up and got a good look at that Zetsu guy… and let's just say she didn't like what she saw. Half his body was tinted black, while the other was a blanched white. He seemed to be engulfed in a giant Venus flytrap, with pupil-less gold eyes to boot. Ino shivered. Were _all_ the Akatsuki members monsters?

"You'll have to report to the leader about this," Zetsu said.

"Hn," Itachi grunted.

"We know," Kisame translated.

Suddenly, another man turned his attention to the girls. This man had blonde hair that was pulled up in a high ponytail, similar to Ino's… and he even had a stray clump of bangs like Ino. His eyes were colored a crystal blue… like Ino!

He suddenly stood up and strode over to Ino, scrutinizing her. She held her breath. "Un," he grumbled, "You stole my look, un."

"Huh?" Ino was dumfounded for a second, "I stole _your_ look?" Before Deidara or Ino had time to continue, a voice interrupted them.

"You say you're our entertainers," another male by the name of Sasori folded his hands in front of his face, "Let's see what you got."

"W-What?" Ino drew back.

"Now?" Sakura said.

"Perhaps they need a little provoking," Kisame grinned and flashed every one of his sharp fang-like teeth. The girls gulped and complied.

Slowly, Sakura closed her eyes and imagined the tune in her head. As the melody became more familiar, she gently parted her lips and sang. At the same time, Ino unsurely took a step forward, letting her hips rock to the sweet melody.

It was a sad song… reflecting the very feelings of Sakura Haruno herself. At first her voice had come out crackled and a bit off-key, due to her nervousness. But after letting the lyrics flow from her, Sakura felt more comfortable.

Ino's dance started out a bit lopsided as well, her steps seemed a bit forced and her movements lacked grace. But like Sakura, the more she danced the more comfortable she felt and soon her body eased into an elegant sway.

In another corner of the room, a certain male with red hair took an interest to the pink haired one. Her song… it was so beautiful. Despite the rough beginning, it maintained a consistent flow and left a lasting effect… just how art should be. In Sasori's opinion, true art was something that lasted, an eternal beauty.

Deidara raised his head in interest and kept an especial eye on the blonde girl. He observed her, watching the way the muscles on her back swam when she moved. How her feet barely padded the gritty, stone floor, and how that long ponytail of hers trailed like a golden ribbon. Every fleeting second of her dance was a single moment of beauty, disappearing just as soon as it came. In Deidara's opinion, that was true art. Something that lasted for only a moment but left a lasting effect- like Ino's dance. Deidara smirked and rested his chin on the back of his hand.

Sakura sang louder, those rosy lips producing such magnificent vibrato that the other Akatsuki members couldn't help but giver their undivided attention. Line after line the kunoichi sang in perfect harmony, not a single note was off-key or flat. Everything was just simply divine.

Beside her, Ino's hips danced smoothly to the beat and it was enough to entice even the happiest married man. But then again, none of the Akatsuki was married…

Emotions poured from the lithe kunoichi, unbarred and raw. This was a side Sakura never let anyone see, this was the side of her that pained in rejection. The side spawned from Sasuke's marriage to Takara. She incorporated her soul into the song, captivating its true essence and the attention of a certain Uchiha, along with a certain puppet master. Sakura singer tuned out every other disturbance, focusing mainly on the song at hand.

By now Ino as well had closed her eyes and was lost to her own world, the world where nothing existed except herself and the dance she was performing. Her body rolled sensuously alongside the depressive song, so fitting that a certain silver haired man found it hard to tear his eyes away from her. For once, Hidan put his praying to a pause.

By the time the song ended, nobody noticed. Sakura was busy humming the last part- the part where the pianist, if there were any, ended with a musical accompaniment. The song and dance was so comforting and oddly relaxing that even Zetsu had ventured forth from his dark corner. Itachi smirked and stared at Sakura. He was a bit pleased with himself for finding such a talented girl. Sasori's thoughts were also occupied by a certain pink haired kunoichi. Deidara noticed Kisame's expression when he watched Ino. Ideas started forming in the blonde's head.

"Mildly surprised," Kakuzu was the first to talk, "That kunoichi from such a happy village like Konoha are capable of such a sad song."

"I wouldn't call it happy," Sakura muttered, her tone dripped with satire. An image of Sasuke flashed before her mind.

"Kisame," Itachi suddenly stood up, "Introduce the girls to the other members."

"And where are you going?" the shark man snorted.

"To report to the leader," Itachi pulled his cloak up higher and exited the room.

* * *

Ah, sorry about the crappy chapter. It's summer and I've been out having fun, so my head isn't spitting out as many ideas as it used to. I'll take a look at this chapter later and rewrite it. 

Also, Zetsu will not be paired with anyone. Why? Well, because…he's creepy. Shiver. Neither will the Akatsuki leader, because so far the only thing I know about him is that he's… the Akatsuki leader. Kakuzu is another funky character, and if he were to be paired up with someone I'd stick him with Sakura but that left such a disturbing image that I decided to leave him single like Zetsu. There is another member. Not much is known about them, except that he/she _might_ be a girl. Well, wouldn't want Yuri in this fic, now, would we? Anyways, I'll stop my rant now. Buh bye!


End file.
